evolution and ethics and other essays-第8部分

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hunger　for　enjoymentof　all　mankind；　which　is　one　of　the　essential
conditions　of　success　in　the　war　with　the　state　of　nature　outside；　and
yet　the　sure　agent　of　the　destruction　of　society　if　allowed　free　play
within。

　　　　*　See　below。　Romanes'　Lecture；　note　7。

The　check　upon　this　free　play　of　self…assertion；　or　natural　liberty；
which　is　the　necessary　condition　for　the　origin　of　human　society；　is
the　product　＇28＇　of　organic　necessities　of　a　different　kind　from　those
upon　which　the　constitution　of　the　hive　depends。　One　of　these　is　the
mutual　affection　of　parent　and　offspring；　intensified　by　the　long
infancy　of　the　human　species。　　But　the　most　important　is　the　tendency；
so　strongly　developed　in　man；　to　reproduce　in　himself　actions　and
feelings　similar　to；　or　correlated　with；　those　of　other　men。　Man　is
the　most　consummate　of　all　mimics　in　the　animal　world；　none　but
himself　can　draw　or　model；　none　comes　near　him　in　the　scope；　variety；
and　exactness　of　vocal　imitation；　none　is　such　a　master　of　gesture；
while　he　seems　to　be　impelled　thus　to　imitate　for　the　pure　pleasure　of
it。　　And　there　is　no　such　another　emotional　chameleon。　By　a　purely
reflex　operation　of　the　mind；　we　take　the　hue　of　passion　of　those　who
are　about　us；　or；　it　may　be；　the　complementary　colour。　It　is　not　by
any　conscious　〃putting　one's　self　in　the　place〃　of　a　joyful　or　a
suffering　person　that　the　state　of　mind　we　call　sympathy　usually
arises；　*　indeed；　it　is　often　contrary　to　one's　sense　of　＇29＇　right；
and　in　spite　of　one's　will；　that　〃fellow…feeling　makes　us　wondrous
kind；〃　or　the　reverse。　However　complete　may　be　the　indifference　to
public　opinion；　in　a　cool；　intellectual　view；　of　the　traditional　sage；
it　has　not　yet　been　my　fortune　to　meet　with　any　actual　sage　who　took
its　hostile　manifestations　with　entire　equanimity。　Indeed；　I　doubt　if
the　philosopher　lives；　or　ever　has　lived　who　could　know　himself　to　be
heartily　despised　by；　a　street　boy　without　some　irritation。　And；
though　one　cannot　justify　Haman　for　wishing　to　hang　Mordecai　on　such　a
very　high　gibbet；　yet；　really；　the　consciousness　of　the　Vizier　of
Ahasuerus；　as　he　went　in　and　out　of　the　gate；　that　this　obscure　Jew
had　no　respect　for　him；　must　have　been　very　annoying。**

　　　　*　Adam　Smith　makes　the　pithy　observation　that　the　man　who
　　　　sympathises　with　a　woman　in　childbed；　cannot　be　said　to　put
　　　　himself　in　her　place。　（〃The　Theory　of　the　Moral　Sentiments；〃
　　　　Part　vii。　sec。　iii。　chap。　i。）　Perhaps　there　is　more　humour　than
　　　　force　in　the　example；　and；　in　spite　of　this　and　other
　　　　observations　of　the　same　tenor；　I　think　that　the　one　defect　of
　　　　the　remarkable　work　in　which　it　occurs　is　that　it　lays　too　much
　　　　stress　on　conscious　substitution；　too　little　on　purely　reflex
　　　　sympathy。

　　　　**　Esther　v。　9…13。　〃。　。　。　but　when　Haman　saw　Mordecai　in　the
　　　　king's　gate；　that　he　stood　not　up；　nor　moved　for　him；　he　was
　　　　full　of　indignation　against　Mordecai。　。　。　。　And　Haman　told　them
　　　　of　the　glory　of　his　riches　。　。　。　and　all　the　things　wherein　the
　　　　king　had　promoted　him　。　。　。　Yet　all　this　availeth　me　nothing；
　　　　so　long　as　I　see　Mordecai　the　Jew　sitting　at　the　king's　gate。〃
　　　　What　a　shrewd　exposure　of　human　weakness　it　is！

It　is　needful　only　to　look　around　us；　to　see　that　the　greatest
restrainer　of　the　anti…social　tendencies　of　men　is　fear；　not　of　the
law；　but　of　the　opinion　of　their　fellows。　The　conventions　of　honour
bind　men　who　break　legal；　moral；　and　religious　bonds；　and；　while
people　endure　the　extremity　of　physical　pain　rather　than　part　with
life；　shame　drives　the　weakest　to　suicide。

Every　forward　step　of　social　progress　brings　＇30＇　men　into　closer
relations　with　their　fellows；　and　increases　the　importance　of　the
pleasures　and　pains　derived　from　sympathy。　We　judge　the　acts　of　others
by　our　own　sympathies；　and　we　judge　our　own　acts　by　the　sympathies　of
others；　every　day　and　all　day　long；　from　childhood　upwards；　until
associations；　as　indissoluble　as　those　of　language；　are　formed　between
certain　acts　and　the　feelings　of　approbation　or　disapprobation。　It
becomes　impossible　to　imagine　some　acts　without　disapprobation；　or
others　without　approbation　of　the　actor；　whether　he　be　one's　self；　or
any　one　else。　We　come　to　think　in　the　acquired　dialect　of　morals。　An
artificial　personality；　the　〃man　within；〃　as　Adam　Smith*　calls
conscience；　is　built　up　beside　the　natural　personality。　He　is　the
watchman　of　society；　charged　to　restrain　the　anti…social　tendencies　of
the　natural　man　within　the　limits　required　by　social　welfare。

　　　　*　〃Theory　of　the　Moral　Sentiments；〃　Part　iii。　chap。　3。　On　the
　　　　Influence　and　Authority　of　Conscience。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XI。

I　have　termed　this　evolution　of　the　feelings　out　of　which　the
primitive　bonds　of　human　society　are　so　largely　forged；　into　the
organized　and　personified　sympathy　we　call　conscience；　the　ethical
process。*　So　far　as　it　tends　to

　　　　*　Worked　out；　in　its　essential　features；　chiefly　by　Hartley　and
　　　　Adam　Smith；　long　before　the　modern　doctrine　of　evolution　was
　　　　thought　of。　See　Note　below；　p。　45。

＇31＇　make　any　human　society　more　efficient　in　the　struggle　for
existence　with　the　state　of　nature；　or　with　other　societies；　it　works
in　harmonious　contrast　with　the　cosmic　process。　But　it　is　none　the
less　true　that；　since　law　and　morals　are　restraints　upon　the　struggle
for　existence　between　men　in　society；　the　ethical　process　is　in
opposition　to　the　principle　of　the　cosmic　process；　and　tends　to　the
suppression　of　the　qualities　best　fitted　for　success　in　that
struggle。*

　　　　*　See　the　essay　〃On　the　Struggle　for　Existence　in　Human　Society〃
　　　　below；　and　Collected　Essays；　vol。　i。　p。　276；　for　Kant's
　　　　recognition　of　these　facts。

It　is　further　to　be　observed　that；　just　as　the　self…assertion；
necessary　to　the　maintenance　of　society　against　the　state　of　nature；
will　destroy　that　society　if　it　is　allowed　free　operation　within；　so
the　self…restraint；　the　essence　of　the　ethical　process；　which　is　no
less　an　essential　condition　of　the　existence　of　every　polity；　may；　by
excess；　become　ruinous　to　it。

Moralists　of　all　ages　and　of　all　faiths；　attending　only　to　the
relations　of　men　towards　one　another　in　an　ideal　society；　have　agreed
upon　the　〃golden　rule；〃　〃Do　as　you　would　be　done　by。〃　In　other　words；
let　sympathy　be　your　guide；　put　yourself　in　the　place　of　the　man
towards　whom　your　action　is　directed；　and　do　to　him　what　you　would
like　to　have　done　to　yourself　under　the　circumstances。　However　much
one　may　admire　the　generosity　of　such　a　rule　of　＇32＇　conduct；　however
confident　one　may　be　that　average　men　may　be　thoroughly　depended　upon
not　to　carry　it　out　to　its　full　logical　consequences；　it　is
nevertheless　desirable　to　recognise　the　fact　that　these　consequences
are　incompatible　with　the　existence　of　a　civil　state；　under　any
circumstances　of　this　world　which　have　obtained；　or；　so　far　as　one　can
see；　are；　likely　to　come　to　pass。

For　I　imagine　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　great　desire　of　every
wrongdoer　is　to　escape　from　the　painful　consequences　of　his　actions。
If　I　put　myself　in　the　place　of　the　man　who　has　robbed　me；　I　find　that
I　am　possessed